Beth "ifehudsh News
VOL. 4, No. 1
Beth Yehudah Schools, Dexter at Sturtevant
Oct. 26, 1956
Seventh Annual Dinner and Show, Nov. 25
Leading Social Event -
lanned at Latin Quarter
Traditionally Detroit's most outstanding social event,
the Seventh Annual Dinner and Show of the Beth Ye-
hudah Schools will be held at 6 p.m., Sunday, Nov. 25, at
the Latin Quarter, 3067 E, Grand Blvd., near Woodward.
The program is sponsored by the Schools' Businessmen's
Council and Synagogue Council.
In keeping with the lustre of past years, the Dinner
and Show on Nov. 25 will feature Metropolitan Opera
EMIL COHEN
Witty Humorist
All those holding tickets for the Dinner and Show are
requested to confirm their reservations, as seating is
limited to 500 guests. Write or call David Goldberg, 630
Michigan Bldg., WO. 1-1329.
ROBERT MERRILL
Metropolitan Opera Baritone
Bring Top Entertainers for Show
RobertMeirill,EmilCohentoStar
Following a policy they in-
augurated seven years ago when
they inaugurated their series
of Annual Dinners and Shows,
the Businessmen's Council and
Synagogue Council of the Beth
Yehudah Schools, have again
enlisted top entertainment for
this year's program, to be -held
. Nov. 25, at the Latin Quarter.
Robert Merrill, leading bari-
tone of the Metropolitan Opexa,
radio, television and the concert
stage, will head the program
, with strong support from yoting
and talented hUmorist Emil
Cohen.
The Merrill story is one of the
tstanding success stories 0;„
time. His phenomenal ap-
0
peal has increased with each
performance at Met, on tour
as a-eoncert artist. as a record-
ing artist and as k singing actor
in the movies. F-o • -
Born in Brooklyn and trained
entirely in..this country, Merrill
is one of a new type of Ameri-
can zinger, equally at home in
Opera and popular sohgs.
As his interest in music in-
creased after graduation from
high school, Merrill tried vari-
ous jobs to earn money for voice -
lessons. He worked' for a time
with his father in the shoe busi-
ness, sang at summer- resorts
and did small parts with some
other entertainers, now known
as Red Skelton and the Three
Stooges.
A New York manager who
heard him by chance at a resort
became interested in him and
arranged an audition, and the
next Sunday Merrill found him-
self featured soloist in a coast-
to-coast broadcast with a con-
OH orchestra. •
Rapidly one success followed
another, until in 1945 he won environment is rich in Jewish
the Metfopolitan Opera Audi- humor and music. His father
tipns of ' the air and made his was- a well-known cantor and
de t' at the Metropolitan, brilliant wit. From his mother,
Where he_. has been a leading he acquired many of the songs
baritone •ever since. - - and stories he sings and tells
His -fayorite roles- are the today.
father Germont in "La Travi- He is proud of two cultures,
ata," Figaro in "The Barber of American and Yiddish, and his
Seville" and "Rigoletto." The blend of the two in his per-"
first he is attached tolsentimen- formance is outstanding. Equally
tally because it was the first he adept in the traditional and
saiig at the Met. Figaro, he modern, he makes yOu laugh
says, is light, fast and agile and. and cry at the same time:
provides a wonderful contrast. Cohen makes numerous pub-
Then, for a 'serious - role with lie appearances, particularly in
tremendous challenge there is the night club and resort circuit.
Rigoletto, which is for baritones
Lee Mortimer, who writes the
what Hamlet is for actors.
Nightlife column . in the New
Newspaper critics from coast York Daily Mirror, says of Co-
to coast have acclaiined Mer- hen,' "He is one of the greatest
rill's voice, and he is consid- dialecticians in any language
ered today to be the most Out . .. he is a sidesplitter."
standing baritone. As Roger
Dettther, of the Chicago Herald
American called Merrill, "He is Dave Diamond's Musk
the prince of American bari- Featured at Dinner
tones." •
Throughout the dinner hour
Although he has. been most and supplying the background
highly regarded -in his operatic music for the evening's enter-
tainers will be
roles, it is_ in concert that lis-
teners hear-the greatest range .
Dave Diamond
of Merrill's rich baritone voice
and his orches-
and colorful' style
tra. One of De-
troit's most
"In opera," Merrill says, "one
popular musi-
is naturally limited to. a . single
cal aggrega-
role for the whole evening; In
concert I have a_ chance to get e` tions, the or-
ch es tr a is
acquainted with the audience
known for its
more informally, and we can
ability to play
enjoy a great variety of music
anything from
together. Instead of one com-
Diamond popular tunes
poser and style, we may sample
10, from old Italian operas, to to Jewish folk music.
traditional Yiddish folk songs
Dave Diamond himself is the
to modern popular songs."
son-in-law of Mrs. Pearl- Rot-
Sharing the platform with tenberg, president of the Ladies
Merrill is" another - native-born Auxiliary of the Yeshivath Beth
AineriCari Jew, whose cultural Yehudah.
.
-
Company Baritone, Robert Merrill, and Emil Cohen, young,
witty and brilliant humorist. The music of Dave Diamond
and his Orchestra will be heard during dinner.
This -year's event will be dedicated to Benjamin P.
Freedland, outstanding member of &he Businessmen's
Council who has been a leading figure in all of the past
Dinner and Show programs of the Beth Yehudah Schools.
Mr. Freedland, a' partner with his brother, Harry, in
the Oakland Manufacturing Company and Liberty Storage
Company, is - married to the former Natalie Simons. They
have two children, Adrienne S., 16, and Burton W., 14.
Both of Mr. Freedland's brothers, Harry and Nathan, are
also active in work for the Beth Yehudah. Schools.
The following communal leaders head the committee
which is planning all arrangements for the Nov. 25 Dinner
and Show:
JUDGE NATHAN J. KAUFMAN ....
ARTHUR L. ROBBINS
Honorary Chairman
General Chairman
A. HOWARD BLOCH
Dinner Co-Chairman
DANIEL A. LAVEN
MORRIS KARBAL
DAVID GOLDBERG V
Dinner Co-Chairman
Secretary
Treasurer
ASSOCIATE CHAIRMEN
David I. Berris
Samuel Hechtman
David J. Cohen
Samuel B. Solomon
Harry Freedland
Morris Snow
Nathan I. Goldin
Stollman
Abe Green
Meyer Weingarden
Morris W. Zack
MEMBERS OF THE DINNER COMMITTEE
Max Carmen 3
Abe Nusbaum
Harry E. Citrin ,
Irving Raimi
Isadore R. Cohen
Alex Saltsman
Wolf 'Cohen
Joseph B. Silver
Reubin Dubrinsky
Abe Silverstein
Harry Levine
Max Stollman
Isadore Muskovitz
'Norman Sukenic
Julius Wainer
The Annual Dinner and Show of the Businessmen's
and Synagogue Councils is sponsored to aid in the main-
tenance of the Yeshivath Beth Yehudah, Detroit's tradi-
tional institution for scholarly Jewish learning.
Leading Ei ures in Annual Dinner-Show
DANIEL A. LAVEN
Dinner Co-Chairman
A. HOWARD BLOCH
Dinner Co-Chairman
ARTHUR L. ROBBINS
General Chairman
JUDGE N. J. KAUFMAN BENJAMIN P. FREEDLAND
Honorary 'Chairman
Dinner Honoree